Kiwi Kev's backyard Hot Rod Shop.

[Kiwi Kev]

That is a future project of mine. When I got it the body was cut into pieces by a former owner who just wanted the quarter panels for a roadster body he was piecing together.
I welded the body back together and got about 3/4 of the way through the chop when I had an opportunity to buy a rolling Willys sedan. Between this sedan and the rough Willys coupe body I have had for over 20 years I had enough pieces to build the Willys coupe. So I stopped on the 34 and concentrated on the Willys which I hope to drive this summer. I want to build the 34 60's drag style for the street. I had it mocked up at one stage so here are some pics....

Here is the current project.....

It started like this....

 

[Kiwi Kev]

I have another 34 5w body that I am kind of piecing together from scraps and when I say it is rough I am not kidding......

I also have this dragster chassis and enough parts to make a decent display car but I don't have anywhere to put it so it waits.....

 

[z28snksknr]

How can I be like you?

 

[Kiwi Kev]

You don't want to be totally obsessed with this stuff like me, it doesn't make any sense to have all this junk I will never use. I'm not a very practical person but I am happy in my little world.

 

[chopper1]

You my friend are living the dream of a lot of us. Your wife must have a halo and be able to walk on water! Most wives would never put up with that obsession, at least I know mine wouldn't.

 

[Boosted1]

Very cool garage. Nice vintage stuff there and neatly organized for so much stuff.

 

[Kiwi Kev]

It is not always clean and organised. It gets pretty messy sometimes and I just have to stop and have a clean up. In my old pictures I found a few that show bow busy it gets sometimes. Like I said earlier, more room would be nice .........

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Kev, Any pictures of that AD truck after the sectioning and pancaking of the hood? THat must have come out NICE! Do you still do work for others as side jobs?

 

[Kiwi Kev]

I also chopped that truck a couple of inches before these pics .I don't have any finished pics of it . I still do side jobs.

 

[Kiwi Kev]

The carport.....It was only a couple of months ago that I moved my machinery into the car port and made it a true workshop. I was using it mainly for storage for several years before that and It was usually pretty messy and out of control. Before that it was used as a work bay. Amazing for me to look back and see how different it has looked at different times....

Here is how it looked when I moved in....

Fence is up but carport is not enclosed yet.....

Now it's enclosed....

Got a little carried away with the signs......

Beginning of my Model A coupe project....

Only place I had to keep the louver press. I gave up one car space to have the tools in there but it was worth it...

Current shot....

 

[Kiwi Kev]

This is one of my favorite shots from the backyard. Looks like a blown Willys production line....

 

[Wingnut65]

Awesome shop! I am still Ooooing and Aaahhhing.

It is great that you have past pix to see the progress thru the years. Even in these, the sign collection grows. If i hit the west coast, I may take you up on the sleeping arrangements. I even know how to use a broom!

jeff

 

[hoopty388]

this is truly amazing!!!!

you could make a fortune just charging admission to walk through the place!!

 

[e-tek]

I was looking at your shop with my son - and realized the pictures really DO do it justice!!

 

[von zipper]

very cool!! I'd take kids on field trips to show history!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Von Zipper? - I LOVE it! Am I the only one who knows the cultural reference that name refers to? It is character from a movie that is from EXACTLY the right timeframe in reference to most a the stuff in Kev's great garage:

Eric Von Zipper and his Ratz & Mice from the "Bikini Beach", Frankie Avalon & Annette Funicello movies: an, that brings back memories.

 

[Kiwi Kev]

I have more pictures to post but I feel like I am overdoing it. I will post anyway because I like to see alot of pics when I am checking out a thread. I have alot of pics in photobucket so it is very easy to post them. Here are some from inside the garage over the years.

Inside Garage..... This is what you saw when you opened the garage door when I moved in. The granny flat is still complete and there is a partition down the center of the garage. There are also washer/drier hookups, I made it clear right away there would be no washers or driers in there.

No paint on the walls yet....

Some white paint.....

Blue/white. I was going for a sterile type shop. I painted the walls white/blue and all the equipment blue. I didn't have half the equipment then as I do now. I had a little more room inside back then...

I can see here there is some stuff building up in the background, well it has just slowly kept building up. I can also see my Willys coupe body back in the corner...

Here is my Willys body In the corner. It fit back there so I started mocking it up but got sidetracked so it eventually went back to my junkyard to be stored for future use...

Here is the back corner with drill presses, band saws etc back there. It looks very cluttered but there was enough room to work. There use to be a shower and closet in the bathroom but I removed them to make way for the magazine rack....

A few more misc' shots...

And today.....

 

[Justanoldguy]

Keep the pics coming Kevin.
I like the NZ Hot Rod sticker in the last pic.
I too have a similar one in my workshop.

 

[Motown 454]

The first car I ever like as a kid was a 41 Willys, and I strill love them today. I wish I could have been there to see all these being done. I love this stuff! Awesome shop.
Hey Dan I'm old enough to get the Von Zipper referance.

 

[Wingnut65]

And Kev, What is really more amazing is that you actually took all these historical pictures. And kept them! Through all the years, all angles, all walls, so many projects, people... Man, you really thought ahead back then. And these were actual film and negative pictures... Wow!

- Mental note: Take pictures of all projects while they are in the garage! -

Thanks for posting. I think many of us have the same thought as you - never can have too many pictures!

jeff

 

[ZRX61]

A sheep Charmin cosy?? thats a real Kiwi touch.. LOL!!

 

[bobadame]

You're having way, way too much fun Kewi. By all means keep the pictures coming. It's comforting to see that you are a gray beard and not some 24 year old punk, no offense meant to whippersnapper punks.

 

[Kiwi Kev]

A couple of old pics from the junkyard....

A few more misc' from years ago.......

 

[Kiwi Kev]

A few from indside looking out.....

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Awesome Kev,
Whatever became of the cool pickup in the first photo and the COE in the last one? I love them both, but I'm partial to old trucks as my avatar attests.

 

[Kiwi Kev]

The 36 Dodge cabover was built into a driver for a friend/customer who moved to Washington state and I believe he still has it with the same green patina. Not sure when you say pickup in the first photo if you mean the one in the junkyard. If so then those parts were built into this which I had been driving for the last 5 years or so and just sold.....

If you are asking about the 36 ford pickup then I'm not sure but I don't think it ever got finished.

 

[kustomkulture]

just joined the forum after reading about this garage on British hot rod sites, so had to join up and see more, superb............thanks

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Kev,
I was asking about the parts in the junkyard. This turned out superb especially that nose. What's that grill from or is that off a Kevinmobile!

Forming a nose like that at home and keeping it in bare metal...that THAT is some fabrication chops. VERY impressive. I assume you sold it to gain the cash to work on another project? What's the current timetable for the Willys coupe? Maybe you can shed a little light on its origin, the frame, running gear and your ultimate goal for it? I'm sorta thinking Stone, Woods & Cook-esque type gasser, but I'm wondering what your plans are for it?

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Kev, do you still do side jobs for other guys on a pay basis; meaning non-trade for old signs?!

I like the stuff you work on and since you don't have a 40x80 pole barn with multiple lifts, assorted Ferraris, Ford GT's and Vipers I'm guessing you still know the value of a dollar to the average middle aged hotrod slob, like ME

 

[kustomkulture]

Hi Kev, always been searching for a classic original rodders club jacket, been searching in the UK for years with no luck, see you have a few hung up, how rare are they stateside and where would be a good place to look............

thanks

 

[bayou985]

Alright Alright...You Win...

 

[Kiwi Kev]

Dan in Pasadena.........Yes, I still do side work but only projects I can finish in one or two days. My Willys coupe is being built for the street but 60's gasserstyle. It has beefed up Willys frame and stock suspension with 57 Olds rearend and Don Long front tube axle, 327 Chevy, and T10 4 speed. I hope to drive it this summer. If you are interested there are complete build details on the H.A.M.B. Search for Nasty Habit Willys.

The grill on the roadster pickup is from a 36 DeSoto Airflow. I was a $50 swap meet purchase. The bottom is trimmed. The nose is actually made from several pieces gas welded together and finished with a little "English wheel in a can", I am no metal finisher....

 

[deathbound]

Amazing!!!!!

 

[Kiwi Kev]

Kustomculture........Ebay is the place to find old club jackets. I see them on there sometimes but expensive.They have never been easy to find over here. Over the years I think many went to Japanese collectors. There are collectors here now but unless you are in the loop you never hear about them. Some of mine I found in vintage clothing stores in the early 80's and they were inexpensive ($35).

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

....I am no metal finisher....

Kev,
At the risk of offending you, you've got it all wrong. You are the QUINTESSENTIAL metal finisher. At least you are to a guy like me and I suspect to a LOT of guys on this board. I wouldn't have the slightest friggin' idea how to go about doing what you're doing in this picture. And if I managed to figure out an approach, I wouldn't have the fabrication chops; not to mention the tools, to carry it off. Another thought is that I simply don't have the "eye" that you have to see your hotrod's nose in the stock car.

So face it Kev, you're a VERY talented and artistic guy.

Maybe I could PM you with a question or two? I hope you wouldn't mind giving a little advice to someone who is a complete novice?

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Another random thought: If it weren't for the late model Chevy truck in the background, it could have easily been taken in say 1948 (oops! the '55) at the drags or without the pavement lines at Muroc.

I'd love to see it with the Chevy Photoshopped out and made black and white, or even sepia toned. If any of you have the skills to do that, Kev could add it to his collection Sorta like having his rod of today travel back in time to the Golden Age of SoCal hotrodding!

 

[Kiwi Kev]

Dan, I can fabricate stuff but I know my limits. PM me any time with any questions if you want.

 

[Grizz1963]

One of my every day threads this Kev.

You are very good at what you do.

I love these, not sure there are any or many in the UK

COE's do it for me on many levels.

 

[Kiwi Kev]

Thank's Grizz! Looks like you are having fun with your project, looking forward to seeing it finished.

 

[mtm_motors]

Here's a quickie, I know it's far from perfect...

I'd love to see it with the Chevy Photoshopped out and made black and white, or even sepia toned. If any of you have the [skills] to do that, Kev could add it to his collection Sorta like having his rod of today travel back in time to the Golden Age of SoCal hotrodding!